The Buenos Aires 2018 Coordination Commission held their third site visit ©Buenos Aires 2018

Buenos Aires 2018’s Youth Olympic Park has seen “significant progress” according to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordination Commission, after they conducted their third site visit.

The Park, a major social and urban city project for the third edition of the Summer Youth Olympic Games, includes the Youth Olympic Village.

Buenos Aires 2018 chief executive Leandro Larrosa had claimed earlier this year that ensuring the new Athletes' Village was ready for the Games was the main concern for the organisers.

The facility in the south of the city, which will become affordable housing after the Games, is claimed to be on schedule to be finished in November 2017.

The Youth Olympic Centre, also located in the Park, is also claimed the be progressing well as the site prepares to host 12 of the 28 sports at the Games.

After the Games, the centre will become an Argentina’s high performance sports facility.

"These Games have become very real to the people of Buenos Aires, not only with the community projects we produce, but also with the urban development in the South of the city now taking shape," said Larrosa following the two days of Commission meetings.

"Thanks to the support from the Argentinian National Olympic Committee and the local and national Government, the Youth Olympic Games will have a great impact on the city and the nation long after the Games have concluded."

Athletes advising Buenos Aires were present at the latest Coordination Commission meeting ©Buenos Aires 2018
Athletes advising Buenos Aires were present at the latest Coordination Commission meeting ©Buenos Aires 2018

The Commission also approved Buenos Aires revised venue master plan, comprising four parks, which they claim will bring sport and the Games across the whole city.

The Youth Olympic, Green, Urban and Techno Parks will all feature a mix of sport, culture and education activities in a festival style atmosphere, according to organisers.

Buenos Aires 2018 also informed the Commission, led by Namibia's Frankie Fredericks, of the hundreds of events which have been held to directly engage over 300,000 young people.

Their workforce has increased from 40 to 120 employees since the last visit in August 2015, while 6,000 people have shown interest in becoming volunteers.

A digital platform is reportedly being developed to provide information for all stakeholders in one location, while the Commission met a group of young athletes who have provided guidance to the Buenos Aires 2018.


"Sport has changed your life, sport has changed my life and we are around this table together to help take more kids off the street and into sport through the Youth Olympic Games," Fredericks told the athletes.

"Innovation is key to Buenos Aires 2018 and it is important that we have input from the athletes to the future athletes.

"We are creating these Games for young people, and your fresh, youthful and passionate spirit is essential.

"You are role models now, and that is a tremendous responsibility to put on young men and women, but your community is behind you."

It was also revealed that Buenos Aires were developing an "innovative concept" for their Opening Ceremony.

As a result, the Games are due to begin one day earlier on September 30 in 2018, with the Closing Ceremony then due to be held on October 12.